Hello one and all. It’s great to be back writing for you after an extraordinary last two years. It was a very understated New Year (all of our party plans greatly reduced by late COVID restrictions) and sadly with no real guarantee in sight that we are out of the woods just yet. ­

At this current moment in time I am sat in a park in Paulton observing dog walkers, ramblers and children of all ages on bikes or kicking a football around. Most of my role in the Policing family is spent working in the community; alas this does create paperwork, administration and more paperwork. Can I say a massive thank you to the Council and the team for doing such a good job of maintaining this and other community resources.

Members of the community often give me a wave and a smile at these times. Some come and ask me if I am busy* or will stop to tell me about their concerns. The fact that I take a few moments in a busy day to write up my notebook, complete some administration on my laptop or make phone calls to victims, community groups etc should not be confused with inactivity.

Crime wise – thefts from vans is always prevalent in our area. Please make every effort to secure your tools – the best way is to remove all tools and valuables from your van. Ensure that you lock your vehicle, even if you are away from it for only a few moments. Consider installing additional layers of security, such as installing alarms or deadlocks on your doors. What about security marking and recording your valuables with companies such as SELECTA DNA? For more security advice, contact one of the beat team or use the Avon & Somerset website as below. But please do something positive to protect yourselves and to your livelihood.

Theft of catalytic convertors is becoming more prevalent at the moment. We all understand why ‘cats’ are so good for the environment and most cars these days are fitted with them as standard. However, the precious metals and minerals contained in the manufacturing process make them attractive for criminals. Can I strongly encourage you to use your internet search engine to find simple (and often free) advice to protect your vehicle.

Last week I met with the first volunteers of a local Paulton group keen to set up a Community Speedwatch Group (CSW). This is a free, yet very effective way of us keeping our communities safer by reminding us to reduce our speed. Full training is given and commitment doesn’t have to be demanding. We do have space for more volunteers to join the team, so if you did want to do something positive, rewarding and in doing so, potentially saving lives, please contact me.

*I will, at this stage, point out that the good officers in the Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) are always busy. Rob Hendra PCSO 7977